Confidence putter

ABSTRACT

A putter with a ball striking surface sufficiently large enough to inspire confidence that the ball will be struck within the sweet spot that is weighted to facilitate a pendulum putting stroke. The center of gravity of the putter head is higher than the center of gravity of a golf ball so that topspin is imparted to the golf ball when struck. Right and left hand putters are disclosed as are double-faced putters suitable for both. Methods of putter construction are also disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of U.S. application Ser. No.60/561,517 filed Apr. 14, 2004 and Ser. No. 60/619,000 filed Oct. 18,2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a putter, and more specifically to aputter that provides a large golf ball striking surface to inspireconfidence in the person putting and that is weighted to impart topspinto the golf ball to help keep the ball on line.

Fifty percent of the strokes in a par score are allotted to putting. Noaspect of a golf game is more critical or frustrating. There are manyputting techniques and hundreds of designs for putters. However, thesingle biggest factor remains confidence in making the putting stroke,i.e., confidence that the ball will be struck and that the golf ballwill stay on the intended line once struck.

To insure that the surface of the putter will strike the golf ballwithin what is known as the “sweet spot” on the club face, the width ofthe ball striking face normal to the putting surface and to the desiredline is generally quite large relative to the diameter of the golf ball.This permits some significant movement of the hands in and out duringthe putting stroke without imparting excessive “cut” or spin on the balldue to striking the golf ball off the centerline of the club.

However, the height of the ball striking face is generally only slightlylarger that the diameter of the golf ball apparently on the theory thatthere is very little up and down movement of the hands during theputting stroke. In most cases, the height of the golf ball strikingsurface is less than the diameter of a golf ball to insure that thecenter of gravity (“COG”) of the putter is below the COG of the golfball.

One example of a putter with a wide but vertically short ball strikingsurface is shown in the Calabro U.S. Design Patent No. D444,194 datedJun. 6, 2001, and examples of short height ball striking surfaces areshown in the Wells Design U.S. Patent No. D474,821 dated May 20, 2003and the Ford U.S. Design Patent No. D437,017 dated Jan. 30, 2001.

Other putters have attempted to insure hitting the golf ball in thesweet spot of the putter by focusing the attention of the golfer on thegolf ball during the putting stroke. For example, the Franco U.S. Pat.No. 6,428,424 dated Aug. 6, 2002 shows a generally semicircular golfball striking surface, i.e., flat on the bottom adjacent the green andcurved to be approximately equidistance from the top and sides of thegolf ball when the golf ball is addressed.

There have even been a few putters designed to impart topspin on thegolf ball. For example, the lower half of the ball striking surface ofthe putter shown in the Laconte U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,336 dated Jan. 22,2002 is removed to insure that the only contact of the surface with thegolf ball is above the COG of the golf ball.

Still other putters have arced the golf ball striking surface of theputter to conform to the shape of the golf ball, thus providing anoverhanging portion that tends to restrict the “hopping” of the golfball when struck. One such putter is shown in the Fioretti U.S. Pat. No.6,520,865 dated Feb. 18, 2003. Other putters of this general type areknown as “mallet head” or bulbous putters. Such putter designs take massfrom the width of the golf ball striking surface and add it behind thesurface. One example of such a design is that shown in the U.S. Pat. No.6,280,346 dated Aug. 28, 2001.

No known putter combines the characteristics of the putter of thepresent invention, preferred embodiments of which are hereinafterdescribed in connection with the attached drawings.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2F are respectively top plan, front elevation, right sideelevation, back elevation, left side elevation and bottom plan views ofthe embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded pictorial view of the putter of FIG. 1 showing onemethod of construction.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 illustrating thetopspin imparted to the golf ball when struck by the putter.

FIGS. 5A-E are respectively front elevation, right side elevation, topplan, left side elevation and bottom plan views of a second embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken through the putter of FIG. 5showing one method of construction.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial view illustrating the location of the shaft of theputter of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 8A-E are respectively front elevation, right side elevation, topplan, left side elevation and bottom plan views of a third embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal section taken through the putter of FIG. 8showing one method of construction.

FIG. 10 is pictorial view illustrating the location of the shaft of theputter of FIGS. 8 and 9.

THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to the figures where liked numerals are used toindicate like parts, one embodiment of the putter of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the putter head10 approximates the size and shape of a driver with the exception thatthe golf ball striking surface 12 is substantially vertical and does nothave the eight to fifteen or more degrees of loft desirable for driversand fairway woods. A ball alignment mark 14 may be scribed into orotherwise provided on the upper surface of the putter to aid in thealignment of the golfer with the desired path of the ball to the cup.

The shaft 16 is desirably inserted vertically into club head essentiallyparallel to the ball striking surface 12, and may be provided with asingle angle bend appropriate to facilitate the griping of the shaft ina conventional putting stance, e.g., about 20 degrees at a point lessthan about 3″ above the club head. The entry angle may be varied asneeded for different putting stances, and the shaft 16 may be straightand enter the club head at an angle of about 20 degrees to thehorizontal. A ferrule ring 18, preferably black, may be used to dressthe entry of the shaft 16 into the top of the club head and any suitableconventional grip for the shaft 16 may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head of the putter may generally circular savefor the ball striking surface 12. In the embodiment shown, the circle isapproximately 4⅛″ in diameter, and the striking surface is a flat areameasuring approx. 3¼″ horizontally across the face approximately 3⅜″from the rear of the head. The bottom 20 is substantially flat formovement along the green. As shown from the side views of FIGS. 2C and2F, the maximum height of the club head is approximately 2⅛″ at a pointapproximately 5/8 inch to the rear of the striking surface. The headslopes downwardly to a height of about 1¾″ at the rear, about 2″ at thestriking surface, and slopes on the sides from about 2″ at the strikingsurface to about 1¾″ at the rear.

The shaft 16 enters the top of the club head approximately 3/4″ to therear of the ball striking surface 12. The width of the head at the pointof entry of the shaft is approximately 3½″ and the point of entry of theshaft is approximately 25% of the width of the club at that point, or ⅞″from one side, depending on right/left hand use. In an alternativeembodiment, the point of entry of the shaft 16 into the club head iscentered left to right.

The preferred shaft is steel, about ⅜″ in diameter. However, otherconventional low torque materials such as graphite may be used. Atypical club length (including shaft) is between 34″ and 36″, but othershaft lengths within USGA rules are contemplated.

As shown in FIG. 3, a preferred embodiment may be fashioned frommultiple individual pieces of hardwoods permanently laminated togetherto form the putter head, with the head shaped before or afterlamination. As shown in FIG. 3, the three layers 24, 26 and 28 may behorizontal layers with dowels 22 (see FIG. 2F) of wood or other porousmaterial extending upwardly from the bottom 20 of the club head toassist in securing the three layers. The preferred hardwoods are whitepoplar and red oak, but other durable hardwood such as maple and birchmay be substituted. Alternatively, the layers of the putter head may bemolded or otherwise shaped from a plastic or other material of suitableweight and strength, and a sole of metal of other suitable conventionalmaterial secured thereto by an adhesive or threaded fasteners.

The putter's ball striking surface 12 is preferably constructed of asingle piece of red oak hardwood to provide durability and ball strikingconsistency. The ball striking surface 12 is desirably uniform acrossthe width of the club, approximately 1/4″ in thickness, and the loftshould not exceed about two degrees.

It is desirable that the club head be weighted and that the weight berigidly secured to the head. Where the head is constructed from threesubstantially equal thickness layers as shown in FIG. 3, a preferred wayis to accomplish the weighting is to create a generally triangularcavity 30 in the middle layer 26 with one apex pointed toward the ballstriking surface 12 and open to the front of the club before the ballstriking surface is added. A molten dense metal may thereafter be pouredinto the cavity created by the assembly of the three layers before thestriking face is applied. Any suitable conventional method of creatingthe cavity 30 and inserting the weight 32 may be used, but in situmolding has been found desirable. In in situ molding, the pour may beinterrupted before the cavity 30 is completely filled thus providing atruncated apex for the weight and an air space immediately behind theball striking surface 12.

In a preferred embodiment, the weight 32 extends rearwardlyapproximately 1½″ from the ball striking surface 12 and approximately3/4″ to the rear of the axis of the shaft 16. The weight 32 desirablydoes not extend forwardly to the front plate that forms the ballstriking surface, and may lie entirely to the rear of the point of entryof the shaft 16 into the club head. The resulting air space between theweight and the front plate contributes to the desired weightdistribution and cushions the ball strike.

As shown in FIG. 4, The club head is internally weighted so that the COG34 of the head is above the COG 36 of a golf ball 38 when the golf ballis addressed for putting. Currently, USGA approved golf balls must havea diameter of at least 1.60″, which places the COG 36 of the golf ball adistance D1 of approximately 0.8″ above the green. Thus, the distance D2of the COG of the club head from the green is greater than the distanceD1.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the COG 34 of the club head is also to the rearof the point where the shaft 16 enters the head, i.e., a pointapproximately 1¼″ to the rear of the striking face and ½″ to the rear ofshaft in this embodiment. Thus, the distance D3 from the strikingsurface 12 and the COG 34 is greater than the distance D4 between thestriking surface 12 and the point of entry of the shaft 15 into the clubhead.

A typical weight of the complete putter is 525 grams +/−40 grams, butthis weight will of course vary with shaft length and the material used,particularly if the putter head is adapted for the mid-length and chesthigh putters. In this embodiment, the head weighs approximately 320grams of which the weigh represents approximately 120 grams orapproximately 35% to 40% of the weight of the head. The distribution ofweight facilitates the striking of the golf ball with a pendulum motion.A positive topspin is imparted to the golf ball which enhances distancecontrol and assists in keeping the ball on line.

The club head provides ease of visual alignment with the golf ball andits intended target line and is preferably finished in a high glossnatural wood color. Also facilitating the confidence of the golfer isthe area of the ball striking surface relative to the size of the golfball. The cross-sectional area of a golf ball measuring 1.60″ indiameter is slightly in excess of 2 square inches. The ball strikingsurface in this embodiment is approximately 6.5 square inches, and thusprovides a ratio of approximately 3:2 that is desirably maintainedwithin ±10%.

A second embodiment of the putter of the present invention is shown inFIGS. 5-7. A significant difference from the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 isthe use of two putting faces or ball striking surfaces so that theputter may be used by both right-handed and left-handed golfers. In thistwo ball striking surface embodiment, it is desirable for the shaft 16to be centered between the two surfaces 38 a and 38 b so that to imparta positive topspin to the golf ball when struck.

With reference to FIGS. 5-7, the putter head 40 is slightly smaller insize due to the two ball striking surfaces, but approximates the shapeof a driver. The head may have ball alignment marks 42 provided on theupper surface of the putter to aid in the alignment of the golfer withthe desired path of the ball to the cup. Where the shaft 44 is centeredin the club head as shown in FIG. 5C, the directional marks 42 may passapproximate the width of and through the point where the shaft 44 entersthe club head.

The shaft 16 is desirably inserted vertically into club head essentiallyparallel to the ball striking surfaces 38 as described in connectionwith the embodiment of FIG. 1-4. As shown in FIG. 2, the head of theputter may generally be circular save for the ball striking surfaces 38with a width of approximately 4⅛″, and a distance of 2¾″ between theball striking surfaces 38 a and 38 b. As shown in FIG. 5E, the bottom 46is substantially flat for movement along the green. In this embodiment,the height of the club head is approximately 2″ at the point of entry ofthe shaft 44, sloping downwardly to a height of about 1¾″ at thestriking surfaces 38.

The shaft may be as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS.1-4 and the club head may be similarly constructed of multiple pieces ofhardwood permanently held together by upwardly extending dowels 48 (seeFIG. 5E) of wood or other porous material, or suitable conventionalthreaded fasteners. Alternatively, the layers of the putter head andball striking surfaces may be molded or otherwise shaped from a plasticor other material of suitable weight and strength, in which event theclub head may be drilled and weighted, preferably from the bottom.

It is desirable that the club head be weighted and, where the head isconstructed from three substantially equal thickness layers, a preferredway is to accomplish the weighting is, as shown in FIG. 6, to create agenerally triangular cavity 50 in the middle layer with one apex pointedtoward one of the ball striking surfaces 38 and open to either the frontor back of the club before the ball striking surfaces are added. Amolten dense metal may thereafter be poured into the cavity created bythe assembly of the three layers before the ball striking surfaces areapplied.

As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, in situ molding has been founddesirable with the cavity 50 shaped to provide front to back balance andto lock the weight 52 securely in place. The portion of the cavity 50not filled with the weight 52 may be plugged with wood or a similardensity material so as to maintain the same front to back weightdistribution and balance.

As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the distribution of weightfacilitates striking the golf ball with a pendulum motion to impart apositive topspin to the golf ball in the enhancement of distance controland in assistance in keeping the ball on line.

Facilitating the confidence of the golfer is the area of the ballstriking surface relative to the size of the golf ball. The ballstriking surfaces 38 in the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7 are desirablyuniform across the width of the club and of the same size, i.e.,approximately 6.5 square inches. This provides a ratio of approximately3.2, desirably maintained within ±10%, between the surface area of theball striking surfaces 38 and the cross-sectional area of the golf ballat its center.

A third embodiment of the putter of the present invention is shown inFIGS. 8-10 where like numerical designations have been used for elementscommon with the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7. As illustrated, the embodimentof FIGS. 8-10 differs principally from the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7 inthat the front to back distance between the two ball striking surfaces38 a and 38 b is reduced to about one inch. This reduction in the frontto back dimension of he club head, keeping the overall size of the clubhead otherwise constant, slightly increasing both the size of the ballstriking surfaces and the ratio of the area of such surfaces to thecross-sectional area of a golf ball at its center.

As shown in FIG. 9, the club head may be constructed as earlierdescribed with the weight 52 locked in place and centered both front toback and side to side in the club head. As in the embodiments earlierdescribed, the COG of the club head is higher than the COG of a golfball and a positive topspin is imparted to the golf ball when impactedby the forwardly and upwardly swinging surface 38 in the putting stroke.

The club head of FIGS. 8 and 9 may be mounted to any suitableconventional shaft. For example, the shaft may be centered in the clubhead, enter the club head vertically and incorporate a bend ofapproximately twenty degrees as shown in FIG. 10. However, the shaft maybe straight and may be of lengthened to facilitate use as a “belly” or“chest” putter, as desired.

As will be readily apparent, the large ball striking surface(s) of theputter of the present invention relative to the size of the golf ballgive the golfer great confidence that the ball will be struck in thesweet spot of the club. The visual mass of the club is greater than mostconventional putter heads, and the internal weight facilitates apendulum swing favored by most golfers. The weighting of the club headnaturally imparts a positive topspin to the golf ball when struck, andthe confidence of the golfer in making the putting stroke will beenhanced by the improved tendency of the ball to remain on line.

While the foregoing is a description of preferred embodiments, manyvariations and modifications will naturally occur to those of skill inthis art from a perusal hereof. The invention is therefore not to belimited to the embodiments disclosed, but defined only by the claimswhen accorded a full range of equivalents.

1. In a putter comprising a shaft and a head with a golf ball strikingface, the improvement wherein the ball striking surface is substantiallyplanar and the center of gravity (“COG”) of the head is not less thanthe radius of the golf ball so that topspin is imparted to the golf ballwhen struck by said surface in a putting motion.
 2. The putter of claim1 wherein the COG of said head is not less than about one inch above thesole of said head.
 3. The putter of claim 1 wherein the COG of said headis rearward of the point of attachment of said shaft to said head. 4.The putter of claim 1 wherein the COG of said head is higher than themidpoint of said ball striking surface.
 5. The putter of claim 1 whereinarea of said surface is not less than about 5 square inches.
 6. Theputter of claim 5 wherein the area of said surface is greater than about6 square inches
 7. The putter of claim 1 wherein the height of saidsurface is not less than about 1.25 times the diameter of a golf ball.8. The putter of claim 1 wherein said head includes an internal weightand an air space between said weight and the ball striking surface ofsaid head.
 9. The putter of claim 8 wherein most of said weight islocated rearward of the entry of said shaft into said head and higherabove the sole of said club than the radius of a golf ball,
 10. Theputter of claim 1 wherein said head includes an internal weight andwherein said weight is generally triangular is horizontal cross-sectionwith one apex centered with respect to and facing forward toward theball striking surface of said head.
 11. The putter of claim 10 whereinthe forward facing apex of said weight is truncated.
 12. The putter ofclaim 1 wherein the point of attachment of said shaft to said head isvertically over the COG of said head.
 13. The putter of claim 12 whereinsaid head is provided with a second rearwardly facing ball strikingsurface.
 14. The putter of claim 13 wherein said second surface isgenerally planar and the same size as said first mentioned ball strikingsurface; and wherein both of said surfaces are inclined to thehorizontal not less more than about two degrees.
 15. In a puttercomprising a shaft and a head with a golf ball striking face, theimprovement wherein the ball striking surface is substantially planarand has an area not less than about five square inches and a heightgreater than the diameter of a golf ball.
 16. The putter of claim 15wherein said surface is inclined to the vertical not more than about twodegrees.
 17. The putter of claim 15 wherein said head includes a secondball striking surface of the same size as said first mentioned surfaced.18. The putter of claim 17 wherein the height of both of said surfacesis approximately twice the diameter of a golf ball.
 19. The putter ofclaim 15 wherein the attachment of said shaft to said head is laterallycentered with respect to said head.
 20. The putter of claim 15 whereinthe center of gravity (“COG”) of said head is higher than the radius ofa golf ball.
 21. In a putter comprising a shaft and a head with a golfball striking face, the improvement wherein said head comprises: threehorizontal layers of substantially equal thickness; a surface layer ofsubstantially uniform thickness carried by the forward facing ends ofsaid three layers with the exposed forward facing surface of saidsurface layer forming said golf ball striking surface; a weight carriedinternally of said head in the middle one of said three layers.
 22. Theputter of claim 21 wherein said weight is generally triangular inhorizontal cross-section with one apex facing said surface layer andcentered with respect to said ball striking surface.
 23. The putter ofclaim 21 wherein said weight is in situ molded in a cavity in saidmiddle layer.
 24. The putter of claim 21 including a cavity between saidweight and the rearward facing surface of said surface layer.
 25. Theputter of claim 21 wherein the center of gravity (“COG”) of said head isvertically higher than the elevation of the midpoint of said ballstriking surface.
 26. A method of constructing a putter comprising thesteps of: (a) providing upper, middle and lower blocks havingsubstantially the same thickness and a width and length dimensionsignificantly greater than the thickness; (b) creating a passagewaythrough middle block, the passageway opening into the top, bottom andfront surfaces thereof; (c) sandwiching the middle block between the topand bottom blocks so that the lower surface of the top block and theupper surface of the lower block cooperate with the side walls ofpassageway in the middle block to define a cavity in the sandwichedblocks opening to the front thereof; (d) inserting a weight into thecavity through the front opening; (e) providing a face plate having afront-to-back dimension substantially less than the thickness of theblocks and side-to-side and top-to-bottom dimensions substantiallygreater than the front-to-back dimension; and (f) securing the back ofthe face plate to the forward facing surfaces of the blocks so that theback of the face place closes the cavity and the front of the face plateprovides a ball striking surface.
 27. The method of claim 26 wherein theweight is molded in situ in the cavity.
 28. The method of claim 26wherein the weight does not completely fill the cavity so that there issufficient space between the weight and the back of the face plate forthe striking of the ball to be cushioned by the rearward flexing of theface plate.
 29. The method of claim 26 including the further step offastening the blocks together by a fastener upwardly extending throughthe bottom of the lower block.
 30. The method of claim 26 wherein therearward facing surfaces of the blocks provide a second ball strikingsurface so that the ball may be struck by both right and left handedgolfers.